[TowerTalk] Fwd: Grounding connection to tower legs

[john at kk9a.com]

Since I have yet to see a commercial clamp for connecting copper strap to a
tower other than a modified hose clamp, I also thought of fabricating one
with a DX Engineering saddle or an aluminum Stauff clamp.  Glad to see that
you made one Grant. It would be easier to install, especially if heavy gauge
copper, if you could just clamp it between two flat plates instead of
wrapping it around a tower leg with a shim and hose clamp. It would be nice
of tower manufactures put grounding bolt holes on their tapered bottom
sections. I use hose clamps around the legs and never had an issue with it
blowing apart. After reading this thread, If I were to make any changes I
would swap the worm drive clamp for a heavy duty bolt style band clamp with
a .030+ thick band. I use this type of clamp for larger telescoping tubing
sections on homebrew antennnas and they work well.

John KK9A


To:	towertalk at contesting.com
Subject:	Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Grounding connection to tower legs
(Kevin Stover, AC0H)
From:	Grant Saviers <grants2 at pacbell.net>
Date:	Tue, 17 Oct 2017 07:29:22 -0700
List-post:	<mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
One more alternative is to use a DX Eng saddle clamp and extend the saddle
backing plate far enough to use two hole lugs. I made the backing plate out
of 1/4 x 1-1/2" 6061 and wide enough for two lugs each side. One clamp on
each leg with 2 or 3 #6 or #2 wires to pairs of buried 8' rods Cadwelded. I
put some contact goop in the saddle area where it contacts the tower. 2"
saddles for Rohn 65 are a very close fit. A few dollars cheaper than the
Rohn similar idea, and uses two hole lugs. Aluminum against zinc is pretty
benign electrochemically.

Grant KZ1W